DUBROVNIK

Hello, Dubrovnik!:)

Ahhhh, Croatia.:) An ever-increasingly popular tourist destination, Croatia made it's first appearance on my 'Travel To-Do List' last summer when I took the liberty of spending an entire day's worth of time researching 'Top 10 Things to Do/See in Europe' and drooling over the countless google-image searches that followed. Upon bringing this up to Kathryn one day, our minds clicked when we found out that we had both (separately) researched two of the same destinations that alone gave us COUNTLESS reasons to visit Croatia. However, it wasn't until late January that we would know for sure we’d OFFICIALLY be visiting these outstanding destinations TOGETHER.:) !!(insert happy dance)!!:)

Fast forward about six more months and there we were enjoying a bird's eye view of the Old Town walls as we flew into a city also commonly known as 'the Pearl of the Adriatic Sea'. Why hello, Dubrovnik.:)

First night in Dubrovnik!

Coming from Madrid we thought we were well-equipped for any summer heat, but when we stepped off the plane and were greeted by a 'breeze' that I can only compare to the idea of stepping into a giant oven, we knew we had thought very wrong (it wasn't until later on our trip that we found out that we were in the middle of a legitimate heat wave during our entire stay).

In case you were worried…our inevitable sweating problem that came with a Croatian heat wave in July was treated with at least two servings of gelato per day, time at the beach, and the now-obvious decision to choose chilled white wine over red to accompany dinner each night.;)

Stepping off of the bus right outside of Old Town and taking in views of the ocean, the Old Town walls, the bustling streets, the tropical climate and the somewhat exotic terrain…I am sure that ANYONE in our shoes in that moment would have mistaken Dubrovnik for a scene straight out of a fairytale. We sure did! Being so overwhelmed with emotion and excitement, I remember immediately saying "I think this is the most beautiful place I have ever been"…and that wasn’t far from the truth!

After dropping off our bags at our place in the center of Old Town we could hardly wait to get back outside and stroll the gorgeous, limestone, Stradun street and the even more enticing tiny side-streets. Dubrovnik reminded us of a newer, more polished version of a quaint Italian city (think Siena) that was somehow able to maintain it’s original, old charm.

Hiking the Old Town walls:)

We stepped outside into the muggy, evening air in search of ice water, food, and chilled glasses of white wine.:) We paced up and down numerous side streets, too distracted by Dubrovnik’s beauty to remember what we were searching for in the first place. Being just across the Adriatic Sea from Italy, it only seemed fitting that most of the food we searched for, found, and ate was Italian food…and a lot of it! We dove into the first evening of our vacation in Croatia head-on with an appetizer, a pizza to share, two cheese lasagna bake’s (¾ cheese, ¼ noodle), and a bottle of wine. A delightful dinner for two, a couple servings of gelato, and some time spent sitting by the water in awe and pinching ourselves would wrap up a simply AMAZING first evening to our Croatian adventure. Sigh, life is good…:)

Delish first meal!

The next morning we jump-started our day with our standard breakfast of cheese omelets (the only legitimate breakfast food we found that was offered consistently throughout our trip) and coffee. We opted for an ‘ice coffee’ as stated on the menu, only to find out that at this particular restaurant an ‘ice coffee’ apparently meant a coffee with ice cream in it...I mean, I could think of worse ways to start my day.;)

Our next item on the agenda has made it on more than a few ‘Top Ten Things to Do in Europe’ lists and would undoubtedly be on mine as well…if I had one.;) Hiking the Old Town walls in Dubrovnik was one of the most memorable things I have ever done! Once we began our journey, Kathryn and I knew we were in for endlessly picturesque views of the water and the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic Sea’ itself. HEY THIS JUST IN—Croatia is to DIE for!!:)

Hiking the Old Town walls!:)

After lots walking and sweating and taking pictures and walking…and sweating…when we came across a smoothie shop towards the end of the hike it took little convincing for us to join the other heat-struck foreigners in taking a short respite from the sun while slurping down delicious, fresh-squeezed, tropical beverages. I mean, really…life is rough.;)

Another fine Italian meal + more gelato and we were ready to take another short break from the sun before tackling our second excursion of the day…a tram ride to the top of the city to add a whole new meaning to the term ‘breathtaking views’.;)

Dining on top of Dubrovnik!

Our original plan to enjoy a drink and some appetizers quickly changed to dinner and drinks when we found out that the PRIME seats were only reserved for dinner guests (when in Rome…er, Dubrovnik, right?:)). So there we were…on top of the world, taking in stunning views of the city and the sun setting over the Elaphite Islands in the distance while enjoying a delicious meal and sipping on a glass of wine. As the equation goes, View+Amazing Company+Wine=Life is Good (Quite good, I might add;)). One more round of gelato (to make sure we kept up with our two-a-day minimum) and we were ready to wrap up another perfect day in Dubrovnik! (Did I mention life is good?!;))

I <3 Dubrovnik:)

Due to the high demand and fantastic location of our hostel in the heart of Old Town, the following day we had to switch to a different location about 15 minutes away (and straight uphill). We opted to take public transportation and with our body-sized backpacks and Oregonian blood in the middle of a Croatian heat wave there is no better way to explain the next hour and half of our lives other than to sum it up as an overall ‘sweaty experience’.

The top of our decent to Banje Beach!

The bus dropped us off on the side of a highway at the top of a huge hill (to give an idea, we were not too far from where the tram had dropped us off the night before…). Until you cross the street, it almost looks as if NO ONE could inhabit this part of Dubrovnik. We wandered up and down narrow alleyway steps for twenty minutes trying to accomplish the impossible task of finding a street sign or even an address number for that matter. Once we finally found and settled into our home for the next two nights we began the stair descent into town, beyond ecstatic that we were on our way to a beach.

Banje Beach is a popular, sand beach (sand beaches are hard to come by in Croatia) right outside of town and its tiny surface area was completely covered in towels and umbrellas by the time we arrived. After a few minutes we found a small space to store our belongings and we tiptoed through the scorching hot sand to jump in the refreshing, turquoise water on repeat over the next couple of hours.:)

Beauty around every corner in Croatia!

The rest of our day consisted in another three-course Italian meal+wine (surprise, surprise) where Kathryn tried to make a scene by nearly spilling our wine and water glasses...twice.;) From there we headed to an Irish bar to enjoy a fine atmosphere and a couple of beers before we began the long, upward trek home to sum up another fabulous day on the southern coast of the Adriatic Sea!

Speaking of the Adriatic, we opted to spend our last full day on the water off the coast of Dubrovnik via a three-island cruise of the main Elaphite Islands: Lopud, Sipan, and Kolocep. The random mix of people (Scottish honeymooners, drunks from Norway, our Croatian tour guides who knew little to no English, etc., etc.) combined with the extremely random selection in music (think Backstreet Boys + classic hits from the late 80’s) made for a very interesting and action-packed day.

Our first stop was on the lovely island of Lopud, the largest and most populated (which isn’t saying much) of the three. Like most of the islands in Croatia, Lopud is covered in lush, green vegetation with the occasional stone building or small, rocky shore to remind you that there is more to it than just a landmine of trees surrounded by strikingly clear-blue water. That being said…the Elaphite islands were simply gorgeous! Once our boat docked we were told that we had THREE hours of free time to roam around, with one of our options being a 20-minute walk across the island to a popular sand beach by the name of Sunj. Welp, looks like we were on our own. Sunj, here we come!

Kath at Sunj Beach

Even with a well-marked path winding us to the other side of Lopud we couldn’t help but feel like we were in the middle of nomansland (or the Amazon) with the intense humidity and the ear deafening chirps of insects and other miscellaneous wild creatures surrounding us. We were relieved to finally reach this infamous (not to mention beauuuutiful!) beach where we enjoyed a dip in the water accompanied by a pleasant nap in the sunshine.:)

Upon returning to our boat we received fine dining prepared by our tour guides, complemented with bottomless wine (seriously) as we continued our cruise. On Sipan and Kolocep we took our time exploring as the islands were much smaller and offered less sight-seeing opportunities in comparison to Lopud. HOWEVER, each destination was just as gorgeous as the next and cruising the Elaphite Islands was an incredible way to spend our last full day in Dubrovnik and see a few of the 1,000+ islands that Croatia has to offer!:)

Elaphite Island hopping

After one last trip to Old Town for another Italian meal and one more round of gelato we were ready for our final hike up to our hostel to catch a good night’s rest before heading out early the next morning to begin a long day of travel.

Our next stop brought us to a national park that would rival Dubrovnik (as well as a few other destinations) in earning the title of ‘the most beautiful place I have ever been…’.;)

Next stop: PLITVICE LAKES NATIONAL PARK:)